Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is one of the strongest inorganic acids (dissociation constant, 3.53; E-4 pKa, 3.45). Although its use is mainly industrial, especially in glass etching, metal cleaning, electronics industries, and biochemical laboratories, it can also be found in households as a component of rust removers and aluminum cleaning products. Because of these numerous applications, there is a large potential for accidental human exposure (e.g., in the United States, more than 1,000 incidents of accidental HF exposure are reported annually). The risk and the potential toxicity associated with HF is often underestimated by persons handling this liquid in laboratories, households, and industrial plants. Soon after exposure, fluoride ions penetrate quickly through the epidermal layer into the dermis or even deeper and form soluble salts with calcium and magnesium. Although free fluoride ions can also form insoluble salts with other cations, these may dissociate very rapidly. Fluoride ions are quite corrosive and can continue the tissue damage by themselves.
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